Many reptile owners are very caring and think about getting a second iguana so that they don’t feel alone. But can you keep two iguanas together and do they need someone to keep company? In this post, we will discuss whether keeping two iguanas together is a good idea, pros and cons of keeping two iguanas and more and if you can keep iguanas with other reptiles.
Do iguanas get lonely?
No, iguanas do not get lonely because they are solitary lizards. Loneliness is not an issue for iguanas – because they get territorial and want to have the best spots and territory to themselves.
Can you keep two iguanas together?
In general, you should not keep two iguanas together, because they get territorial, cause each other stress and can attack. But it is possible to keep two iguanas if each of them has a separate room or at least a cage where they can’t see each other.
If you keep two small iguanas together, you might notice that your iguanas will lay on top of each other. This is usually a sign of dominance, as iguanas compete for the higher basking spot, to get the best exposure to the light. This can cause stress to both iguanas.
Pros of keeping two iguanas at home
- Every iguana has its own personality, so you would enjoy interacting with two completely different iguanas and learn more about them.
- A feeling of fulfillment if you have always wanted to keep few lizards.
Risks of keeping two iguanas together
- You must not keep two iguanas in the same cage. This is because iguanas get territorial, and even if you provide space for each, they will still fight for the territory.
- Even if you get two females, or a female and a male – they are likely to fight and cause injuries. 2 males is never an option. Once the male hits the puberty, he will be causing stress to female and will want to breed with her.
- Two baby iguanas can live pretty well together, until they reach the age of around a 1-1.5 years. This is when iguanas reach sexual maturity. At this point, iguanas will get aggressive towards each other.
- Even if two iguanas lived well before, don’t assume it will always be like that – they can suddenly snap at each other and cause serious injuries.
- Aggression can be caused due to different things – a spot in the cage, basking spot, food, wish to dominate and more.
- One of the iguanas that you get might be an alpha male – and will be doing everything to dominate once it reaches sexual maturity.
- Females can also be very territorial and aggressive, not just males.
- The second iguana might not try to fight the iguana that is dominating – but will be suffering in silence. Stress will cause weakening of immune system – leading to infections, weight loss and even death.
Never introduce the second iguana to a cage that can only fit one iguana, by just adding extra accessories. A cage for one iguana is definitely not big enough for two.
Size differences and two iguanas
If you already have an established iguana and want to bring another one, you might or might not succeed. That will depend on caging and age difference between two iguanas. Never try to have iguanas of different sizes and ages together – that’s a recipe for disaster.
If an established iguana is much larger than the one you are bringing, it can cause problems. Small iguana is very likely to get stressed if the established iguana is 1 year old and over.
If your established iguana is calm, tolerant and docile, then bringing another iguana can either go fine, or make the established iguana stressed. This often ends with giving away the new iguana, and trying to calm down an established iguana. There is always the risk.
To summarize, you can introduce two iguanas to each other if they are still small (under 1-1.5 years old). Take them out to a neutral area, so that the established iguana doesn’t feel that its territory is being dominate.
Don’t forget that the cage for two should be double the size as well. You can find everything about cage sizes for iguanas here.
Summary: keeping two iguanas at home
To summarize, it is not a good idea to keep two iguanas together. They will cause each other stress and are likely to fight. If you really want to keep two iguanas, keep them separate – in two separate rooms or two separate cages.
But make sure that they can’t see each other!
Even the looks, posture, head bobs and other behaviors can make another iguana stressed while being in another cage. Remember, you will need space and supplies for both iguanas.
Even keeping male and female or female and female couple poses risks. Males and females should be presented to each other when there is a breeding interest. Iguanas do not choose a partner for life – they only get together to mate.
Can you keep iguanas with other reptiles?
No, the same rule applies to iguanas and other reptiles – iguanas will still get territorial whether other reptile is iguana or not. Of course, in some cases it might work – but there is a big risk of injuries and stress.
It is not recommended to keep iguanas with other reptiles such as geckos, bearded dragons, monitors or others.
You can keep them in separate cages (they must not see each other), for example if you are interested in keeping different types of lizards.
But never keep them in the same cage – not only dominance will be a problem, but also living conditions and requirements are different in most cases.